Soccer stars Steven Gerrard and Robbie Keane needed a late goal to edge a team of 30 8-year-olds as part of the LA Galaxy’s “Ridiculous Soccer Challenge.” >> Read more trending stories Sky Sports reported that the 8-year-olds lined up in a 1-10-10-9 formation, packing the defense to crowd the two 36-year-old Galaxy players. Keane scored twice, as the two men used their height advantage and a long-ball approach to attack the goal. Keane used some fancy footwork to deprive the youngsters of an upset draw. <iframe width="390" height="219" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BI3ORyqT5Ec" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Megan Rapinoe did not get a chance to kneel during the national anthem before Wednesday night’s match between the Seattle Reign and the Washington Spirit.

Instead, Spirit officials altered their pregame ceremonies and played the anthem while both National Women’s Soccer League teams were in their locker rooms, The Associated Press reported. That prevented the Seattle midfielder from kneeling for a second consecutive match.

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“We decided to play the anthem in our stadium ahead of schedule rather than subject our fans and friends to the disrespect we feel such an act would represent,” the Spirit said in a statement.

"We understand this may be seen as an extraordinary step,” the Spirit said, “but believe it was the best option to avoid taking focus away from the game on such an important night for our franchise."

Rapinoe knelt during the anthem before Sunday’s match in Chicago, showing solidarity with San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick — who has refused to stand during the anthem to protest racial injustice and minority oppression.

"To willingly allow anyone to hijack this tradition that means so much to millions of Americans and so many of our own fans for any cause would effectively be just as disrespectful as doing it ourselves," the Spirit said in the statement.

After the match, Rapinoe said she was saddened by the Spirit's move.

"It was incredibly distasteful, four days before one of the worst tragedies in our country, to say I tried to hijack this event,” Rapinoe told the Washington Post.

The Spirit said team owner Bill Lynch is a veteran who has lost friends in overseas conflicts, as had his close friends.

Goalkeeper Hope Solo, saying Tuesday that she was “not there yet” mentally, decided to end her season with the Seattle Reign of the National Women's Soccer League.

Solo, 35, who was suspended for six months by U.S. Soccer and had her contract terminated last week, announced her decision in a statement. She won't be eligible for selection to the national team again until February. Solo did not say whether she would be returning next season.

“Coming to terms with the fact I was fired from the U.S. women's national team after 17 years of service has been devastating. After careful consideration, I have decided to end my season with the Seattle Reign, an organization I love playing for," Solo said Tuesday. “Mentally, I am not there yet.”

Solo was suspended on Aug, 24 after calling members of Sweden’s squad “a bunch of cowards” for their defensive style of play during the Olympic quarterfinals. Sweden had pulled off a shocking upset of the U.S. women’s team, winning 4-3 in penalty kicks after playing to a 1-1 draw. The U.S. women had won gold in every Olympics since 1996, except in 2000, when it won silver.

Before last Saturday’s match against Portland, the Reign announced that Solo had been granted an indefinite leave for personal reasons. Haley Kopmeyer took over for Solo in goal and the Reign won 3-1.

It looks like plans are changing for another key piece of the 2016 US Women's Olympic soccer team. Forward Sydney Leroux announced on Instagram that she's pregnant and will likely be missing the US' Olympic stint in Rio de Janiero.

But one Australian man named his daughter after his favorite soccer team – and he didn't tell his wife until the child was two years old.

Clare Smith wrote in to a magazine saying, "We chose our daughter's name, Lanesra, because it was unique and romantic. It wasn't (until) she was two that my husband told me it was actually his favorite soccer team, Arsenal, spelled backwards."

Social media users responded to the father's creative name online.

It's unclear if there will be an uptick of soccer-related names in the coming year.